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Americas

PPG to acquire Danish coatings firm Dyrup

PPG Industries said it signed a share purchase agreement to acquire Dyrup A/S, a European coatings company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, from public holding company Monberg & Thorsen. The total transaction value, including assumed debt, is around €135mn ($200mn).

Chevron to buy new US acreage in Marcellus Shale

Chevron has agreed to buy 228,000 net leasehold acres in the Marcellus Shale from Chief Oil & Gas and Tug Hill Inc., expanding its position in the rapidly growing US shale play.

Shell starts up new production from Canada oil sands expansion

Shell announced the successful start of production from its Scotford upgrader expansion project in Canada. The 100,000 bpd expansion takes upgrading capacity at Scotford to 255,000 bpd of heavy oil from the Athabasca oil sands.

New study shows why US should resist higher energy taxes - API

The US oil and natural gas industry supports 2mn jobs in Texas and 24% of the state’s economy, according to a new study commissioned by API and conducted by PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). API president and CEO Jack Gerard said the president and Congress should keep the study’s findings in mind as they debate greater access to domestic oil and natural gas and higher taxes on energy.

PPG closes on $27mn deal for US chlor-alkali producer Equa-Chlor

US chemicals major PPG Industries announced that it completed its acquisition of certain assets of Equa-Chlor, Inc., a Washington-based producer of chlorine, caustic soda and muriatic acid.

Enterprise to extend Texas crude oil pipeline from Eagle Ford shale

Enterprise Products Partners plans to build an 80-mile extension of its 350,000 bpd Eagle Ford shale crude oil pipeline, allowing it to serve growing production areas in the southwestern portion of the play.

Bayer invests $120mn in environmental, safety upgrades at Texas chemical site

Bayer MaterialScience will invest $120mn into environmental and safety improvements at its Baytown chemical site in Texas – the company’s largest US manufacturing facility.

Construction markets show promise, poised for second-half recovery – Foster Wheeler

Global engineering and construction (E&C) markets are showing signs of strengthening, with industry revenues likely to rise in the second half of 2011, the interim chief executive of contractor Foster Wheeler said on Tuesday.

Reduced US EIA budget prompts energy data cuts

Several energy data and analysis reports from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) will soon be cut amid a reduced budget for the department, officials said.

Foster Wheeler promotes Nield to vice president of project risk management group

Global engineering and construction contractor Foster Wheeler announced that Jon Nield, 47, has been promoted to vice president of the company’s project risk management group (PMRG), effective immediately.